If your Windows 8 is OEM, it's on UEFI/GPT. Neither XP or 2K support that platform. Have you considered a virtual machine?

Create a fresh drive image before making system changes, in case you need to start over!

"The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Savvy?"—Captain Jack Sparrow "When you're troubleshooting, start with the simple and proceed to the complex."—M.O. Johns "Experience is what you get when you're looking for something else."—Sir Thomas Robert Deware. Unleash Windows

Installing a newer o/s to a free partition will give you a boot menu that allows you to choose which version to boot to.

If starting from scratch, boot from from the older o/s disk, format as required and install. Then boot from the newer o/s disk and install to a separate partition. Upon rebooting you will have a choice of both operating systems.

Installing a newer o/s to a free partition will give you a boot menu that allows you to choose which version to boot to.

If starting from scratch, boot from from the older o/s disk, format as required and install. Then boot from the newer o/s disk and install to a separate partition. Upon rebooting you will have a choice of both operating systems.

Create a fresh drive image before making system changes, in case you need to start over!

"The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Savvy?"—Captain Jack Sparrow "When you're troubleshooting, start with the simple and proceed to the complex."—M.O. Johns "Experience is what you get when you're looking for something else."—Sir Thomas Robert Deware. Unleash Windows